Flight Attendant Flees TSA After Being Caught With 70 Pounds of Cocaine

Has anyone seen a JetBlue crew member running barefoot around Los Angeles? On Friday, security at Los Angeles International Airport randomly screened a JetBlue flight attendant and discovered nearly 70 pounds of cocaine in her luggage. NBC Los Angeles reports that the then-unnamed woman "appeared nervous and made a cell phone call in a language not recognized by officers" when she was pulled aside by security in Terminal 4, at which point "she was then taken aside to a secondary screening area and was asked for her employee identification." As security members began searching her bags, the woman then ditched both her suitcases and her Gucci heels and made a run for it, going barefoot down an up escalator.

Updated 3/24/16: Our erstwhile Cinderella is now in police custody. Marsha Gay Reynolds was arrested by authorities at New York's JFK airport nearly a week after ditching the estimated $3 million worth of cocaine at LAX. She is due to appear at federal court in Brooklyn today on charges of cocaine possession with intent to distribute.

Normally, flight attendants and other airline personnel aren't subject to the same security screenings in the U.S. as the majority of travelers; as members of the TSA's "Known Crewmember" program, they pass through the same expedited security line as diplomats (though not the same one used by TSA Precheck passengers, depending on the airport), so they don't have to remove laptops or iPads from bags—and, ironically for our would-be Cinderella, shoes stay on.

However, some people are pushing to change this regulation and subject flight crew members to the same screening process as passengers. Following the incident at LAX, the airport's police union released an official statement calling for tougher security for airline employees. "This is a perfect example of why Los Angeles airports need 100 percent screening of all passengers and airport employees," the statement reads. "Miami International Airport and Orlando International Airport screen all of their employees. Miami has screened approximately 38,000 employees since 1999. Total employee screening is realistic and achievable and it should happen here at LAX." According to the Associated Press, the TSA has focused on security breaches by "insiders" (aka airline and airport workers) ever since several Delta baggage handlers were arrested in December 2014 on charges of smuggling guns. However, the agency says it cannot afford the extra manpower to conduct screenings of airline and airport employees.

The flight attendant's whereabouts are currently unknown; federal agents are looking for her, since the volume of drugs was enough to charge her with a felony. JetBlue has not released a statement regarding its employee, and her name has not been made public. There's also no confirmation on whether the flight attendant was inspired by that scene in Valentine's Daywhere Ashton Kutcher runs barefoot through LAX so he can profess his love for Jennifer Garner.

This article was originally published on March 22. It has been updated with new information.